Matthew Chapter 24

Verse 48 and 49 “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my lord delays his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken.”

If the “faithful and wise servant” is an individual, then so is the “evil servant.” Although there was literally an evil servant, an individual—for example, Judge Rutherford?—the way verses 48 and 49 are worded suggests that the one who was faithful and wise could become an evil servant unless he took heed along this line.

And Pastor Russell regarded these verses as a warning of what could happen to him—that he must be careful to maintain the status of a faithful and wise servant—whereas actually the application was to SOMEONE WHO FOLLOWED HIM.

By omitting the word “evil,” Luke 12:45 sounds even more like a warning to the faithful servant: “But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delays his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken.”

However, enough details are supplied about the evil servant that we can identify him.

Where or how did the evil servant say, “My lord delays his coming”?

The evil servant did this in his heart, for he did not directly state that he did not believe the Lord was present. This verse reveals his inner thinking. The Jehovah’s Witnesses movement today is an offshoot of this wrong thinking.

“Not only does Jesus intimate that his coming and presence will be unknown to the world, but that many of His servants (professed followers) will be so asleep, and overcharged with the things of this world, that the day of the Lord (His presence) will be upon them as a snare, and some will “begin to smite their fellow servants, saying: My Lord (the Bridegroom) delays His coming” (He’s not here yet), while the ones being smitten (scoffed at and ridiculed) evidently are taking the opposite ground, viz: that the bridegroom does not delay, but IS PRESENT (Even as we proclaim on this forum).

“Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he (ako) has come shall find, giving meat in due season to the household of faith. (The meat due when the Lord has come, would unquestionably be, the evidences or proofs of His presence.)

Evidently the presence is one not recognized by the natural eye, but by the eye of faith, else there could be no disagreement between the servants as to the fact of His presence.” (Matt. 24:44-49.) R123

Verse 50 and 51 “The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

“Weeping and gnashing of teeth” means disappointment. Those who followed (and likewise proclaimed) the teaching of the evil servant and were led astray only to later awaken to the truth of the situation experienced great disappointment. It is hard to see why some brethren stayed in the Watchtower Society so long (after it became corrupted by the influence and teachings of the evil servant). For one thing, the Judge said character development was not important, the Pyramid was a wives’ fable, and the Tabernacle was of the devil.

The weeping and gnashing of teeth does not necessarily apply to the Judge. The effects of his ministry were such that it resulted in others having a terrible experience. The Judge said the faithful and wise servant was neither an individual nor a class but an office (like the presidency). Therefore, when the Pastor died, the Judge supposedly came into the office and became the wise and faithful servant. This thinking was contagious because Johnson reasoned similarly. He agreed that the faithful and wise servant was an office and claimed to be the third or epiphany servant. Moreover, he was supposed to be the last, all the others coming afterward being of the Levite, Jonadab, etc., class.

In regard to the weeping and gnashing of teeth, many identified themselves with the Watchtower (the New Organization) by giving over all their belongings and money and then living and working there. When they realized error was coming out, they had no independent means of support. One prominent brother cried because he was old and, not having a penny to his name, could not take a stand. Many were like prisoners—without money or profession— and could not get out. The mistake was in not keeping a measure of reserve.

No matter how helpful, brilliant, or holy in walk an individual is, we always need to have a measure of reserve, and no one should be offended. We should have this reserve even in regard to an individual we feel we are being blessed by, for our first responsibility in our consecration is to be a follower of Christ. If that is our sole guideline, then our respect for others is predicated on their nearness to Christ. The moment one deflects, we should disassociate ourselves. That would be having a proper reserve.

Some do not want others to have any reserve—they want others to be 100 percent for them or their organization. We should be careful of anyone who has this attitude. Sometimes the thought is not expressed in these words, but instead a person will say he wants 100 percent cooperation. Others are expected to be blind robots. Back there the Judge instilled such an idea, and many were caught in the net. Later the error and evil were revealed, and those involved could not help but see certain things. They had wasted time, effort, and money in being wed to the individual or institution.

The judgment of the evil servant is probably more severe than the “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” which applies to those under his influence for a time but not associated with his practices. The evil servant was cut asunder and appointed a “portion with the hypocrites.”

Although the evil servant did not speak audibly but in his heart that the Lord did not come in A.D. 1874, he did try to change the Jubilee cycle, which pointed out the Lord’s presence. He said the terminal date of the Jubilee cycle was 1925. In other words, he did not say anything, but by making that change to 1925, he was automatically revealing what was in his heart. He thought the Ancient Worthies would come then, and he began the Seventh Day (the 7,000 years) there.

The True Bible Chronology confirms that the first 6000 years ended in A.D. 1874, there the Seventh or Millennial Day began.

Question: Concerning the starting points of the 120 years in antitype, does Matthew 24 teach two starting points (1874 and 1878) and hence two completion points?

Answer: Yes. There are two aspects with regard to Noah’s going into the Ark: (1) when he entered the Ark and (2) when the Flood came. The first aspect pertained to the specially approved class (of eight individuals) being shut in the Ark (comparable to the Church going home), and the second aspect pertained to the trouble (or Flood) on the world (comparable to the great Time of Trouble when the fallen angels will be loosed en masse just before God’s deliverance of Israel and the establishment of the Kingdom). In the end of the Gospel Age, there will be a time period between the rapture (the translation) of the feet members and the trouble to come on the world followed by the Kingdom Age.

Thus we conclude our study of Matthew Chapter 24, the Lord’s Great Prophecy.